Washington: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio faced intense questioning from his former Senate colleagues on Wednesday as he defended the Trump administration’s handling of Venezuela, marking his first public appearance before lawmakers since the raid that led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. The hearing highlighted growing congressional unease over foreign policy decisions made with limited consultation.
Rubio, a former Florida senator and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, emphasized that Venezuela’s new leadership, headed by interim president Delcy Rodríguez, is engaging in “very respectful and productive” communications with the United States. He assured senators that no further military action is planned, with U.S. forces confined to embassy security duties. “The only military presence you will see in Venezuela is our Marine guards at an embassy. That is our goal. That is our expectation,” Rubio stated.
The Secretary stressed that the Maduro regime had become a strategic hub for U.S. adversaries, including China, Russia, and Iran, and that Maduro’s alleged collaboration with drug traffickers posed serious threats to regional stability and U.S. interests. “It was an untenable situation and had to be addressed,” Rubio said, outlining the rationale for the extraordinary intervention.
Lawmakers expressed frustration over the limited communication prior to the operation, with both Republican and Democratic senators voicing concerns about executive overreach and the bypassing of congressional oversight. Two weeks earlier, the Senate narrowly blocked a resolution that would have restricted further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval, forcing Vice President JD Vance to cast a tie-breaking vote. Rubio repeatedly emphasized that U.S. objectives are now focused on diplomacy and restoring stable relations rather than military engagement.
Rubio also highlighted efforts to prepare for the reopening of the U.S. embassy in Caracas, shuttered since 2019, and noted ongoing discussions with opposition leaders, including Maria Corina Machado, regarding Venezuela’s political transition. He framed U.S. policy as aimed at facilitating a “friendly, stable, prosperous Venezuela” with leaders chosen through free and fair elections.
Despite Rubio’s assurances, the hearing underscored persistent tensions in Congress regarding foreign policy decision-making. Committee Chairman Jim Risch, a Republican senator, commended Rubio for providing clarity, but the session revealed the underlying anxiety about the administration’s handling of a high-stakes international operation without prior congressional briefing.
As the United States navigates the delicate transition in Venezuela, Rubio’s testimony highlighted both the administration’s intent to pursue diplomacy and the broader challenge of securing bipartisan support for a policy fraught with constitutional and geopolitical implications.